Gasket including elastomeric joints

Abstract

A gasket for an internal-combustion engine is designed to seal between an engine block and a cover of the internal-combustion engine. The gasket includes a plurality of members that are metal and a layer of elastomeric material on the members. The elastomeric layer includes joints between the members. The joints allow the gasket to flex to accommodate potential variation in sealing surface of the engine block without bending of the members.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A gasket comprising:
 a first member elongated along a first axis; 
 a second member elongated along a second axis and spaced from the first member along a third axis that is transverse to the first axis and the second axis; 
 a third member elongated along the third axis, the third member being spaced from the first member and the second member; 
 the first member, the second member, and the third member being metal; 
 the first member, the second member, and the third member being planar and each having a planar face, the planar faces of the first member, the second member, and the third member facing a common direction; 
 a layer of elastomeric material on the planar face of each of the first member, the second member, the third member; 
 the layer of elastomeric material including a first joint extending from the first member to the third member and the layer of elastomeric material including a second joint extending from the second member to the third member, the first joint and the second joint each being flexible relative to the first member, the second member, and the third member; and 
 the layer of elastomeric material being unitary; 
 the layer of elastomeric material includes a first sealing bead protruding in an away-facing direction from the planar face of the first member, a second sealing bead protruding in the away-facing direction from the planar face of the second member, and a third sealing bead protruding in the away-facing direction from the planar face of the third member; and 
 the first joint protrudes from the first sealing bead and the third sealing bead in the away-facing direction. 
 
     
     
       2. The gasket as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the layer of elastomeric material is overmolded on the first member, the second member, and the third member. 
     
     
       3. The gasket as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the planar face of the first member and the second member each have a distal end distal to the third member, the layer of elastomeric material extending continuously across the first member from the distal end of the first member to the first joint, continuously across the third member from the first joint to the second joint, and continuously across the second member from the second joint to the distal end of the second member. 
     
     
       4. The gasket as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the first axis and the second axis are parallel to each other. 
     
     
       5. The gasket as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the third axis is perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis. 
     
     
       6. The gasket as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein
 the second joint protrudes from the second sealing bead and the third sealing bead in the away-facing direction. 
 
     
     
       7. The gasket as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a fourth member elongated along a fourth axis and spaced from the first member and the second member; 
 the fourth member having a planar face facing the common direction; 
 the layer of elastomeric material extending across the planar face of the fourth member; and 
 the layer of elastomeric material including a third joint extending from the first member to the fourth member and a fourth joint extending from the second member to the fourth member, the third joint and the fourth joint each being flexible relative to the first member, the second member, and the fourth member. 
 
     
     
       8. The gasket as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein:
 the layer of elastomeric material includes a fourth sealing bead protruding in the away-facing direction from the planar face of the fourth member; 
 the second joint protrudes from the second sealing bead and the third sealing bead in the away-facing direction; 
 the third joint protrudes from the first sealing bead and the fourth sealing bead in the away-facing direction; and 
 the fourth joint protrudes from the second sealing bead and the fourth sealing bead in the away-facing direction. 
 
     
     
       9. The gasket as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein the layer of elastomeric material is an endless ring extending along the first member, the second member, the third member, and the fourth member. 
     
     
       10. A gasket comprising:
 a first member elongated along a first axis; 
 a second member elongated along a second axis and spaced from the first member along a third axis that is transverse to the first axis and the second axis; 
 a third member elongated along the third axis, the third member being spaced from the first member and the second member and defining a space between the first member and the third member; 
 the first member, the second member, and the third member being metal; 
 a layer of elastomeric material on the first member, the second member, the third member; 
 the layer of elastomeric material including a first joint extending from the first member to the third member and the layer of elastomeric material including a second joint extending from the second member to the third member, the first joint and the second joint each being flexible relative to the first member, the second member, and the third member; 
 the layer of elastomeric material being unitary; 
 the layer of elastomeric material including a first sealing bead protruding in an away-facing direction from the first member, a second sealing bead protruding in the away-facing direction from the second member, and a third sealing bead protruding in the away-facing direction from the planar face of the third member; and 
 the first joint protruding from the first sealing bead and the third sealing bead in the away-facing direction. 
 
     
     
       11. The gasket as set forth in  claim 10 , wherein the layer of elastomeric material is overmolded on the first member, the second member, and the third member. 
     
     
       12. The gasket as set forth in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a fourth member elongated along a fourth axis spaced from the third axis and transvers to the second axis and the third axis; 
 the layer of elastomeric material extending across the fourth member; and 
 the layer of elastomeric material including a third joint extending from the first member to the fourth member and a fourth joint extending from the second member to the fourth member, the third joint and the fourth joint each being flexible relative to the first member, the second member, and the fourth member. 
 
     
     
       13. The gasket as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein:
 a space extends along the first axis from the first member to the third member between the first member and the third member; 
 a space extends along the second axis from the second member to the third member between the first member and the second member; and 
 the first joint extends from the first member to the third member in the space between the first member and the third member, and the second joint extends from the second member to the third member in the space between the second member and the third member. 
 
     
     
       14. The gasket as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein the first joint extends a first distance in a first direction from the space along the first member, and the first joint extends in a second distance in a second direction from the space along the third member, the second distance being longer than the first distance. 
     
     
       15. The gasket as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the layer of elastomeric material includes a first layer that includes the first sealing bead, the first joint being more compressible than the first layer. 
     
     
       16. An internal-combustion engine comprising:
 an engine block having a sealing surface, the sealing surface of the engine block having a first segment and a second segment in a different plane than the first segment; 
 a cover having a sealing surface that is planar; and 
 a gasket between the sealing surface of the engine block and the sealing surface of the cover; 
 the gasket including a first member elongated along a first axis, a second member elongated along a second axis spaced from the first axis, and a third member elongated along a third axis; 
 the first member, the second member, and the third member being metal; 
 the gasket including a layer of elastomeric material abutting the sealing surface of the engine block; 
 the first member being on the first segment of the sealing surface of the engine block and the third member being on the second segment; 
 the first member and the second member being elongated in a first plane and the third member being elongated on a second plane spaced from the first plane; 
 the layer of elastomeric material including a first joint extending from the first member to the third member and the layer of elastomeric material including a second joint extending from the second member to the third member; and 
 the layer of elastomeric material being unitary. 
 
     
     
       17. The internal-combustion engine as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein
 the first plane is parallel to the second plane. 
 
     
     
       18. The internal-combustion engine as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein the layer of elastomeric material is elongated along the first member, the second member, and the third member. 
     
     
       19. The internal-combustion engine as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein:
 the gasket includes a fourth member elongated along a fourth axis and spaced from the first member and the second member; and 
 the layer of elastomeric material includes a third joint extending from the first member to the fourth member and a fourth joint extending from the second member to the fourth member. 
 
     
     
       20. The internal-combustion engine as set forth in  claim 16 , wherein the layer of elastomeric material is an endless ring extending along the first member, the second member, the third member, and the fourth member.